This Christmas: Revised Edition
by Calmer of the Storm
Summary: And old favourite of mine; completely re-done and edited. Christmas is a time where a lot of things happen. It's also a time where we take things for granted. Can a small boy help Takeru realize that there's more to things than meets the eye?


Calmer of the Storm: Wow…it's been…a while. Lol. Uh…yeah. I'm still gonna finish that story. I PROMISE. It's just finding the will and time…

I was looking through my stories and I love this one…so I'm going to edit it, and it'll be much better this time around!

Calmer of the Storm: I don't own digimon, and I never will….and the song that I'm using, 'This Christmas', is by Tobymac. I don't own it either. Just another note, I don't know anything about the Japanese culture and how the school system works, so this will be a little more Canadian/American based.

This Christmas

_Joy to the world_

_Let heaven and nature sing_

_Let heaven and nature sing_

The shrill sound of the school bell rang through the air, and the students in the classroom all but leapt out of their seats, each one of them filled with anticipation as the Christmas break was about to start. Yagami Hikari gathered her things, a little slower than most. She, for one, had no intentions of trying to fight the crowds. She was one of the last to leave the classroom, but the girl didn't seem to mind. Appearances would indicate that she was not all that excited for the break. Were it not for the smile that was slowly spreading across her lips as she neared her boyfriend's locker, one would never have been able to tell.

It was Christmas break, finally. It had seemed like an eternity, but it had come.

~*~

In another room, I, Takaishi Takeru got my things and ran out the door with the rest of the class. Some would mistake my actions for excitement, though I would admit that that was definitely a part of it, but my locker was on the complete other side of the school and I didn't want to keep Kari waiting too long. And the thought of getting out of this place quickly was too tempting to take my time.

Just as I was dashing out the door with the other students, someone called my name.

"Takaishi!"

I froze, and turned around. It was the teacher, Mister Yoshi. He was notorious for making students hang around after school, especially before a break. And he seemed to have it out for me…this wouldn't be the first time. He seemed to think of me like some sort of dumb jock or something. I heard a rumour once that he had once been the basketball star of his school, but an injury had prevented him from going much further. Whether that was true, of if it was actually grounds for him to dislike me I didn't know, but I wasn't going to get too worked up about it. I just wanted to get out of here. I'd just have to sit and endure whatever torture he had lined up for me, for whatever crime he'd fabricated for me to commit.

"Yes?" I replied to the booming voice of the teacher.

"You forgot your math book."

I blinked. "Oh, uh, thanks."

I walked over, and took it from Mr. Yoshi's hand. I then started back for the door. _That_ had gone much easier than planned…

"Merry Christmas!" I called back, before dashing down the hall.

I ran, dodging people and other random objects. It seemed that everyone was in just as much as a hurry as I was, which made my trek a little more difficult. What normally would have taken a minute had, despite my running, taken three. I turned the corner, and raced up the stairs to my locker. Hikari was going to kill me…she hated it when I was late. And I was _always_ late. I know girls got a lot of flack for taking their sweet time, but I never had that problem with her. She was always quite punctual, unless working with the schedule of her older brother, Taichi, who was notorious for being late, even more so than I was.

I exited the stairwell and turned the corner, only to see the petite frame of my girlfriend leaning against my locker. She was reading a book, and it seemed like she had been there for a while. I cringed mentally, knowing that she wouldn't outwardly be upset with me…but it would be in her thoughts. I could always tell that look on her face when she was not happy about something, but she preferred to keep quiet about it. Not that this would really make a huge dent in our relationship, as this time it _actually_ wasn't my fault that I was late, but still. It would be nice, for her, if for once I could show up on time for something. But no. The stupid teacher had to ruin that for me…

Noticing me, Hikari gently closed her book. I hurried to her side and began spinning the combination without a word to her.

"You're late", came her blunt statement. I had to hide my smile; I knew she wasn't mad at all. If she were, she simply would have said nothing.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. The teacher scared the heck out of me, and then the halls were completely jammed packed." I replied, pulling open the lock. I stuffed my books in the bottom, and grabbed my jacket.

"How'd you get here so fast?" I asked, still hurrying to pull my stuff together.

She reached up and grabbed my oh-so-famous hat and placed it on her head. "I brought all my stuff with me."

I stopped. "Oh." She definitely was always one to think ahead.

Grabbing my bag, I slammed the locker shut. Grabbing my hat off of her head, I offered her a grin. "Let's go."

She only smiled.

The two of us walked outside, not feeling the need to say very much. The crowds had thinned in the rush, and almost everyone was gone now. A few stragglers remained behind; why they would want to, I would never understand. Outside, the air was crisp along with a chilling breeze. But it was nice…it seemed to get everyone in the Christmas spirit when things were a little colder.

"Wow, it's Christmas break already, and we get two whole weeks off school!" I exclaimed, unable to keep my excitement in. What teenager _didn't_ like two weeks off? It meant that I didn't actually have to do any work…and I could spend more time with my friends. And with Kari. Sure, I saw her every day, but school kinda takes away from the whole experience. And where I'm the delinquent student, apparently, she's the star pupil. Once she'd had one of her teachers approach her about our relationship, concerned that I would 'drag her down'. I had a good laugh at that one.

"Uh huh." Kari replied.

I looked down at her quizzically. The tone of her voice told me that there was something wrong; something that I was missing. I knew it wasn't the fact that I was late, and I couldn't think of anything else that I'd done. For a few more short seconds I searched my memory for any sort of clue, but I couldn't find any. Finally, I resorted to asking her. "What's eatin' ya?"

I watched her as a sigh escaped her lips. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just thinking about how fortunate I really am, and how much I have that I take for granted."

I was confused. Sometimes the things she came up with…I'll never understand where her mind picked these things up. "Where did that come from?"

"Well, Christmas is only a few days away, and with that, there's also a lot of focus on the people that have nothing. I know that various churches and organizations gather things to give to people who are homeless or can't afford things. I overheard a conversation between my Mom and yours. They were talking about something that has to do with the orphanage, you know, the one outside town? I'm not sure what, but it got me thinking."

I nodded. "And what is it that you have that you think you take for granted?"

"Well, I have a family, and a roof over my head. I get meals three times a day, unless Tai has cleared out the refrigerator, but that's beside the point. I can have pretty much everything I want, and I have wonderful friends. Then there's you, and I even have a little weird looking cat that is from a completely different world. A lot of people don't have those kinds of things."

"I'm sure it doesn't matter to people whether or not they have a digimon, and there's only one of me to go around, and I'm all taken."

Hikari sighed, but couldn't hide the smile. I didn't like it when she was down about things that she couldn't control…if it were up to her, she'd save every person in the world. She was completely unselfish to a fault, and sometimes I just wished she would think of herself more. Instead of focusing on the impossibly huge problems of others, she should look at what she had. On the other hand, I suppose it did keep her grounded. She had an appreciation for life and other things that many did not have. And I loved her for it.

In my attempts to force her to take her mind off of something, I had neglected to hear a vital part of her explanation. She had said that my mother and her mother were talking…never a good sign. Perhaps I had just catalogued it as something not necessarily out of the ordinary. My mother was a reporter; she went to places like the orphanage all the time. But I would remember all of this later.

"That's what I thought." I said.

We continued walking until we reached Hikari's building. Here I walked with her up to the eleventh floor, where her apartment was. I studied her carefully as she pulled out her key to open the door. She didn't seem to notice my gaze, but I don't think she would have minded it. She was my girlfriend…was it so wrong to stare at her?

"Looks like no one's home. Oh well, they know where I am, or at least who I'm with. Let's go." I liked the sound of that…no one to tell her she had to stay and clean up or something. Not that I wouldn't have stayed too, but it was nice to just have some unhindered time with her. We wouldn't have to go home and do homework or study. With Kari, when she said she wished to do those things with me, that was exactly what we would be doing. So anything else would be a nice change.

She noticed the grin that was on my face now, and she only rolled her eyes at me as she dropped her stuff in the font hall. There were times when she knew better than to ask. "Okay, off to your house."

I was silent for a moment as we entered the elevator. I had just remembered something that my Mother had told me. I wasn't sure what had caused me to remember it, but it got me thinking. Normally the silence wouldn't have bothered her, but she seemed to notice the somewhat concentrated look on my face.

"Now what's on _your_ mind?" she asked.

"I just remembered something. Mom said that she had some sort of surprise when I got home…I don't know what she could have, I mean, Christmas is so close…" Yes, it was very strange. My mother wasn't one for surprises…or planning anything, for that matter. She just wasn't home that often.

"Oh well, I guess you'll never know until we get there, right?"

"Right."

As we headed down the block to my house, it started to snow. Already on the ground there was a decent layer, but this stuff looked more permanent. The flakes were large and fluffy, the kind that you only saw in movies. All that was missing was the dark, impossibly clear sky and the skating rink. And skates. Okay, so maybe it _wasn't_ really all that much like a movie…

An evil idea entered my mind as we walked, and I hung back a little. I had noticed that Hikari had fallen back into a deep train of thought, and she would be completely unsuspecting. I subtly bent down, and grabbed a handful of snow. Quickly, I packed it together in a ball, and took aim.

It hit her square on the back of the head, and I couldn't help but laugh. It had made a pretty good sound, too.

Hikari wheeled around. "TAKERU!!" she yelled.

I erupted into a fit of laugher more violent than my one before.

She rushed at me with the clear intent of tackling me. She really didn't stand a chance against my more solid frame, however this time I would humour her. Consequently, this caused us both to come crashing down to the ground. She grabbed some snow, and smeared it all over my face. Not exactly the most pleasant feeling in the world, but I guess I deserved it.

"Hey! That's cold!" I yelled, still laughing.

"That's what you get for messing with a Yagami!" she boasted, getting off of me. Yes, no matter what her personality was, she and Taichi were more similar than she would care to admit. Of course, I wasn't going to be saying something like that.

"Yeah, whatever. Anyways, we should get going, we've wasted enough time." I fought my hardest to keep the smirk from forming at my lips.

"You're the one who started it."

I just rolled my eyes.

Smiling, she held out her arm for me. I took it, and we continued walking.

~*~

At last, Hikari and I reached my house. We'd stopped so that I could pull out my key, however upon closer inspection I noticed that the door was already unlocked. That meant that mom was home, which was odd for her. Usually she kept such late hours. Maybe they were letting her off early for Christmas or something.

"Takeru! Good, you're home. Hello Hikari, it's nice to see you." she greeted. She had this happy tone of voice, and it made me a little nervous. I still wasn't sure what she was planning. All of this was so out of character for her that I was getting seriously concerned. Christmas was only a few days away, so I knew it couldn't be any kind of present. But I really had no idea what else could be up her sleeve.

"I think the two of you had better sit down. Like I said earlier, I do have a little surprise for you."

I stole a glance at Hikari, who looked just as confused as I was. She knew my mother fairly well; well enough to know that her being home at such a time was very strange. Shrugging my shoulders, I walked to the couch. Hikari followed.

My Mom followed us into the room, but didn't sit down.

"Now, TK" she said, using my nickname, "do you remember when I asked you to buy that toy for me?"

I nodded my head, still not getting it. I had picked it up last week, as she hadn't had the time to do it herself. I had questioned her on the subject, and she'd said something about the orphanage. I thought back to my earlier conversation with Kari, recalling that she had mentioned something about it too, in relation to my mother. But I still didn't quite understand what was going on.

"Well, I'm sure you are very confused as to why I asked you to do it, and also as to why it is under the tree."

To tell you the truth, I hadn't really noticed what she'd done with it. Actually, I had completely forgotten about it. I waited to hear what she would say next.

"Well, as you know, I went to do an article on the orphanage outside of town. It was to look into the program that they were holding. The program is to get the kids into some homes, to spend a _real _Christmas in. As I went through, I saw some of the children there. They take really good care of them, I must admit, but they said that it would be a nice chance for the kids to get out and experience a family for once. I just mostly smiled my way through, but then one little boy caught my eye. The poor boy was just sitting there. I asked about him, and it turns out that he's been there a few years, and the people just pass by him. I was about to leave, I was in the parking lot actually, when I just had to go back in. I said that I'd like to take him for a few days, and let him spend Christmas with us."

I nodded, taking it all in. Beside me, Kari was also silent. I wasn't sure what to make of all of this. Since when did my mother have any sort of compassion for small children? I certainly hadn't been her priority at that age. Of course, our relationship was much better now, but we weren't as close as I knew she would like to be. Quite frankly I would have liked the same, however she just never had time. And so neither did I, as I always found other ways to occupy myself.

"So, Takeru, I'd like you to meet Johnny."

My Mom turned towards the kitchen, and there behind her was a little boy. He was about nine years old, and seemed understandably very shy. He didn't say anything; he just started at us with his big, green eyes. Those eyes seemed to carry a lot of hurt, especially for such a young boy. My heart immediately went out to him, and I decided, right then and there, that this would be the best Christmas he's ever had.

_Now Johnny never got his wish on December 25_

_That's what he said when we left the orphanage_

_9 years old, but Johnny was an old soul_

_Gonna spend his first Christmas in a real home_

It was only about four o' clock, so I offered to take Johnny out and show him around. Kari, of course, thought that it was a wonderful idea. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she had already fallen in love with the little boy.

He was slightly reluctant, but he was just nervous. After my Mom had told him that it would be nice, he obediently followed us. We got our things on, as it had gotten even colder than earlier this afternoon, and headed out. As we entered the elevator, I noticed that Johnny had grabbed Kari's hand. I smiled at the sight. I also noticed that the boy seemed a little more excited, and a little less timid than before. Though he still hadn't said anything yet, I knew that he was becoming more comfortable.

As we exited the building, I tried to strike up a conversation.

"So, Johnny, is there anywhere in particular that you would like to go?" I asked.

He stopped, and began to think. He looked at me a moment, then replied, "The park."

I was slightly taken aback by this. I was expecting another suggestion, like the toy store or to get some candy or whatever else nine year old boys like. I looked at Hikari, who shrugged and said, "Why not?"

I also shrugged. "Let's go."

The three of us headed off to out destination. I watched as Johnny took everything in. I suddenly began to realize the things that I took for granted, and the irony of my conversation with Hikari barely an hour earlier. I had also come to realize that our conversation had not been quite as random as I had thought it to be, at the time. She had picked up something that I had missed, in hearing our mothers talk. Maybe next time I'll read into things a little more.

The soft voice of my girlfriend broke me from my thoughts.

"Well Johnny, we're here." she told him.

I saw the look of awe on his face as he looked around. There were a few other people here, some couples out for a walk, some with dogs, some jogging, some just out alone. Johnny looked as though he was experiencing these things for the first time. Something told me that he was.

We walked around a while, and as we did, Johnny began to open up more. It was just a little at first, but I soon realized what a chatter box the kid could be. We made our way to one of the park benches, deciding that it was time we took a short break. It had gotten rather cold, so we huddled close together, with Johnny in between Kari and me.

The two of them chatted lightly, and I could see that they were completely taken by each other. I know this was supposed to be my job, but I didn't mind. Kari was very good with kids, and he seemed very comfortable with her. I was glad, even, as I imagine that it would have taken me much longer to get the kid to open up. She seemed to be good at that too, though. I remembered when she had done the same for me, all those years ago.

I suddenly was brought back to reality at the feeling of the boy shifting at my side. Johnny was reaching into his pocket, and then pulled out a piece of paper. It was a picture of a man, standing outside some kind of door. It wasn't very good, as he was only nine, but I could see the intended depiction. I didn't understand it, though.

"What is this?" Hikari gently asked him.

He looked up at her, and all I could do was watch them. I seemed to have been completely excluded from this conversation. "This is the man that I see sometimes when I fall asleep. He's the man that will come and take me home someday. He's gonna be my daddy." There was a hope in his voice; the hope that only a child could have. Yet I also noticed that there was a tinge of sadness, sadness that this child should never have had to endure.

_Showed me a picture that he drew the night before_

_Was a picture of a man standin' outside a door_

_I asked him who it was and he said someone I lonely_

_See in dreams_

_When I cry myself to sleep_

_Father of the fatherless_

_Be with Your sons and daughters this Christmas_

_This Christmas_

By now, it was getting late. The stars had not come out, as they were veiled by a thick blanket of fluffy clouds. The lights from the city illuminated the sky, giving a sort of ethereal quality to our surroundings.

Just as we were about to leave, Johnny turned and asked me a question. It was the first that he had asked me specifically, as he had asked questions to the both of us. Much of his time had been spent talking to Kari.

"Do you believe in angels?" he asked.

I was a little thrown off by his question, but I began to think about it. I'd learned long ago that the mind of a child was not to be taken for granted. There were things that he knew, and things that he was looking to believe in. I smiled as I remembered my old friend, Angemon. I smiled at the things that we did together, and what we shared. I remembered how he had protected me and fought for me, even if it meant sacrificing himself for me. Even then, he always came back to me.

"Yeah", I replied, "I believe in angels."

I looked down, but Johnny wasn't looking at me anymore. Instead, he was starting straight up at the overcast sky. I noticed the look in his eyes. It was one of…hope. It seemed that he just needed someone to be there for him, and listen to him once and a while. I had never done this big brother thing before; I never thought I'd be good at it. I was always the cry-baby; the one that needed someone to tell me that everything was fine. This was a different feeling, and I liked it.

I felt an arm encircle my waist, and as I looked down, my eyes met with the shining ones of my girlfriend. She had a bright smile on her face, which is always contagious. I gave her a light kiss on the forehead, an act which caused her to lightly blush. Gently I gave her shoulders a squeeze before turning my own gaze at the sky, as if I were searching for the same thing that the boy was. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kari do the same.

I'm assuming that we looked pretty silly there, but it didn't matter.

_Believe in angels?_

_Johnny asked me starin' at the sky_

_I said I do and saw a sparkle in his eye_

"Well, I guess it's time that we go…it's getting late, and it's Christmas Eve tomorrow." I said, though I was unwilling to break the moment.

"Yep, can't have tired little boys on Christmas eve!" Kari added, reaching down to ruffle his hair. Johnny looked at her with an annoyed expression on his face, though I could tell that he secretly enjoyed the action. I smiled, and we headed towards her home.

"Where are we going?" asked Johnny. He obviously picked up on the fact that we weren't going the same way that we had come.

"Well," I answered, "we have to be gentlemen and walk Kari home. We can't have a lady walking all by herself."

Hikari laughed slightly at the comment.

Johnny just scrunched his nose. I could tell he really didn't understand. Oh well, that would come with time.

~*~

We reached the Yagami apartment, and stopped outside. I noticed that Johnny was busy looking over the balcony, and I seized the moment. Turning to Hikari, I stole a quick kiss from her lips. It was not like the one I would have liked, but it was better than nothing. Didn't want to scar the little boy for life.

Parting, she gave me a hug. She gave Johnny one too, followed by a small peck on the cheek. I rolled my eyes gently at the smitten look that had crossed his face. Finally, she turned and entered her home.

After the door closed, I took Johnny and we headed for the elevator. He was definitely out of his shell now, though I was glad for it. Once inside, the boy insisted on pushing _all _of the elevator buttons. So we got to make a stop at every floor. I didn't chide him for it; he was just having fun. He'd probably never been in an elevator before, with the exception of the ride up.

"Hey TK?" he said, as we were finally on our way down to the main floor.

"Yeah?" I was surprised that he knew my name, as I had not really given it to him. But then I remembered; Mom.

"Do you think that that girl could do that again?" he said with a smile.

I laughed, and ruffled his hair. "Only in your dreams, buddy! And her name's Kari."

"And why's that?" he asked, still smiling.

"'Cause she's only got room for one man in her life, and I'm it." I laughed.

I got a rather amusing look from little Johnny; he had his nose scrunched up, and he furrowed his eyebrows. I don't think he liked what I had said. But after, he broke out in a smile too.

I liked this big brother thing…it was kinda rubbing off on me. I always admired Matt, despite his distance, and I still did. But it was nice to have the role reversed, for once. The feeling of being the one someone else looked up to.

_Big brother for the weekend respondin' to the season_

_Took the chance that givin's better than receivin'_

_Two nights, a new family, some holiday cheer_

_We laughed and sang_

_Came on a midnight clear_

That night, Johnny fell asleep as soon as he had hit the bed. I had to admit, that I was also very tired. It had been a long day, but it had been a good one. Sleep came a little slower for me, as there were many thoughts running through my mind. I'd learned a lot in my time out in the park. I had thought that this would be a normal Christmas break, but it would seem that I had been very wrong on that front. However, if today was just a foreshadowing as to what I would be like, I definitely did not want it to be anything else.

~*~

The next day also flew by very quickly, which was a surprise to me. Usually Christmas Eve is one of the longest days on Earth, but this one was rather quite short. I took Johnny out again, this time with the whole gang. I think that Sora also fell in love with the little boy just as fast as Kari had. It must be a girl thing…

It was really neat to see the sparkle that was in that boy's eyes. I'm sure he hadn't played with anyone like this for a very long time. I watched as Taichi and Yamato almost killed the poor kid, but he looked like he was having a good time. They were no where near close to his age, but he didn't seem to feel out of place. They were acting more his age than anything, which provided some amusement for the rest of us. I wasn't sure if it was all kids or just this one, but he seemed to draw others to him. While watching the scene before me I felt a gentle squeeze on my hand, and I smiled. I didn't have to look over to see who it was.

~*~

As the day drew to a close, I brought Johnny home. All the others had also departed, save for Kari. My Mom had promised that I could have a little time alone with her for a while, as she would be leaving the city to visit family on the twenty-sixth, and Christmas is always a busy day. I felt a little sorry for leaving the kid at home with my mother, but hopefully he wouldn't feel too upset about it. Not that Kari would have minded; I could even see her starting to cave, even before I'd told the boy we'd be leaving him there for a bit. But my resolve wasn't going to falter.

"Okay Johnny, I'll be back soon. I just have to walk Kari home." I told him.

"Can I come too?" he asked, and I could see the hope in his eyes. He had really taken to her.

I sighed, "Sorry Johnny, but I need to do this alone. I promise I'll be quick." I could see the disappointment in his eyes as I told him this, but he didn't protest any further.

Just as we were leaving, he popped his little head around the corner. "Can I have another kiss then?" he asked. His eyes were bright, and he had the biggest smile I've ever seen on his face.

This only made me laugh, and Hikari leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek. There was no way she could have refused him.

"Hey, what about me?" I whined, but I was unable to keep a straight face, much less one that showed any sort of disappointment. She only stuck out her tongue at me.

~*~

The two of us took a little detour through the park, just to take a little more time. It was the only time we would get for a little bit, and so I had her gift in my pocket. I had planned on giving it to her earlier today, but the opportunity had not presented itself. Something told me that she had mine with her as well, but I wasn't about to jump to conclusions. She was pretty good at being secretive, though I could read her like a book. There wasn't anything she could keep from me.

We stopped by the same bench that we had with Johnny the day before, though this time we didn't sit down.

"Hikari", I started. She just looked at me. "I know that I won't be seeing you tomorrow or a few days after that, so I'm going to give you this now. It's your decision when you open it." I reached into my pocked and revealed a small box. It wasn't a really expensive gift, but I knew that she would like it, or at least, act like she did.

"Takeru, you didn't-"

I silenced her with a finger to her lips, and placed the box in her hands.

Slowly, she began to open it, as I had predicted she might. Shoving the paper into her own pocket, she carefully opened the box. I saw her face light up when she did so, which caused a smile to come to my own.

Inside the box was a simple necklace, with just the first letter of her first name dangling from it. I didn't think it was such a big deal, but obviously, she did. I had taken her out for a nice dinner earlier in the week, which sort of went with this. She had made me promise not to go overboard this year. Not that I had before, in my opinion, but nonetheless I promised to keep it small. Immediately she threw herself around my neck, and I allowed my arms to encircle her body. I have to say that I was a little disappointed she didn't kiss me, but I shrugged it off.

"Thank you", she whispered.

"Merry Christmas", I replied.

She pulled away from me slightly, and I instantly knew what she was doing. However, I did not remove my arms from around her.

"Now _I've _got something for _you_." she said with a grin.

She too produced a small box from her pocket, though it was bigger than mine had been. I really had no idea what it could be. Then again, I wasn't the greatest at these guessing games. I think I recall someone once telling me that it was just because I was a guy, and guys were generally unperceptive anyways. It had probably been Mimi, who had a knack for highlighting the shortcomings of my gender. Of course, she'd found a match in Joe, which had shocked all of us, him most of all. Sometimes I wondered how he could put up with her…but I guess that's what love does to a person.

I ripped the paper off, following suit and stuffing it into my own jacket. Littering was never condoned, and she'd probably take her gift right back if I even joked about it. Opening the box, I saw what was inside and I had to laugh. It was a watch. I'd lost mine a while ago, which might explain why I was always so late. Then again, even when I had had it, I was no better with my time. Just something I needed to work on, I guess. I too, gave her a hug, pulling her back into my body again.

After I let go of her, I just looked at her. I wasn't going to let her go until I got my kiss. She seemed to guess what I wanted, though I didn't like that gleam in her eye. It meant that she was up to something. Hoping that it wasn't anything too dastardly, I leaned in with the intention of claiming her lips with my own. However, I was met with disappointment as she ducked out of the way, and I got her forehead instead.

"Hey!" I protested, doing my best to look very hurt in the process.

She smiled mockingly at me, and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do to her to make her suffer. Sometimes she got like this…unpredictable. But she was still in my arms, and there was no chance of her being able to fight me off or pull away. It also didn't help that she was laughing at me.

"How come Johnny gets one and I don't?" Came my argument, which was came partially out of my true sentiments.

Her smile only grew, and she reached up and pulled me down into a soft, sweet kiss. She then released me all too quickly, as always. I'd never get enough time with her. Not if we had an eternity together. Somewhat begrudgingly I allowed her to escape from my embrace, though I was made to feel better at her reluctance to let go of me. Taking her hand in mine, we headed towards her home.

~*~

I made it back home a little later than I had expected, though the others didn't mind because they were busy eating. I could smell the baked goods from outside. This really was going to be quite the Christmas…Mom never baked. Usually it was up to Matt and Dad, who had been the cooks in the family. It was nice, though, and already I could see Johnny with a cookie in one hand and a brownie in the other…he had not suffered at all in my absence. When I'd come through the front hall I noticed two extra sets of shoes, and was greeted by my father and older brother in the living room. They too had taken liberties with the baked goods, apparently. Well, at least they had been nice enough to leave some for me. Not that they had intended to, of course. Something told me that if I had taken any longer, they would have just eaten everything. Really, there was no respect in this family…

Unlike other divorced couples, the tension wasn't there between my parents. Yeah, they still fought sometimes, but they realized that they just couldn't live together. It wasn't the ideal situation; I know that both Matt and I would love for things to work out between them again. But really, since everything had happened with the Digital world, their worry for us had united them together. Now, they are more friends than anything else.

As was custom, Matt had brought his guitar over. The thing went everywhere with him, and I knew as soon as I saw the grin on his face that he was fully intending to pull it out. Even make us sing. I wasn't so keen on the idea…sure, I could carry a tune, but I just hated singing in front of others. I think he did it just to get under my skin. Of course, my mother was all too thrilled to have her son play something for us all. And it was she who encouraged everyone else to join in.

It was funny, seeing Johnny singing his little heart out. He seemed to know all the words to the songs, and I suspected that they must sing them at the orphanage. But there was something about the look in his eyes that told me that this was the first time he had done this in any sort of family setting. I wondered how long he had been at the orphanage…if he had been there since birth, or if his parents had died when he was young. It had never come up in conversation, and it wasn't exactly a topic that one could casually bring up.

Saying that he wasn't a good singer would be lying; there were no words to describe how horrible he sounded, at least together with everyone else. Oh well, it was the thought that counted, right?I decided I may as well join in. It's not like anyone would have heard me or anything…

~*~

When everyone had left, Johnny ran strait to his room and got changed. I don't think I've ever seen a kid so eager to go to bed before, though I did recall the Christmas Eves where I would do just the same thing, and my own parents would just watch and laugh. I felt myself growing very attached to the boy, and it was sad to think that he would be going back to the orphanage. I wish we could just keep him…but he wouldn't really like it here. With me and my mom so busy, we wouldn't have time for him. But now wasn't the time to be thinking about that.

I decided to head to his room, hearing the door open that signaled he was dressed again. As I walked I glanced out the window, noting that it had started to snow.

_We gave, received, and as we headed to a close_

_We looked to the heavens and it stared to snow_

_Down blessings_

I went in to his room, and he demanded to be read a story. Over the passed few nights I had realized that he liked this; the stories calmed him and helped him to sleep faster. So of course, on this night, he would want to be asleep much faster than any other time. I read him a Christmas story; the _real _Christmas story about the birth of Christ. Much to my surprise, he stayed awake during the whole thing. He seemed fascinated by the whole thing. I think he just thought it would be cool to live in a stable with all the animals. Either way, I don't think he'd ever heard it before.

After, he finally did go to sleep, when I pulled out a story that he already knew. That way he wouldn't have to concentrate on the story, but instead just work on falling asleep. It had worked quite well. I knew that he'd be waking up early, and I would thus not be allowed to sleep any longer than he did. So I decided that it would be a good idea to go to bed myself.

~*~

Just as I had expected, I was brutally awakened by the little monster. I had been quite comfortable and warm in my bed, and quite content to remain there for another few hours. However, I woke with a start as he mercilessly jumped on top of me and then continued to jump on my bed. Now I know how Yamato felt, all those mornings I did the same to him…

Groggily, I managed to drag myself out of bed. I pulled on a shirt, and went onto the family room, knowing that my mother would probably have the camera out at some point in the morning, and I really didn't want to get caught by surprise. Mom was already there in the living room, which was very unusual. Usually she had forced me to wait until she was ready…but no, for Johnny she'll do anything. But I couldn't hold it against her. She saw me and disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a cup of coffee in hand. I hate coffee, but for that morning, it was necessary.

_Father of the fatherless_

_Be with Your sons and daughters this Christmas_

_[You ain't livin' till you choose to give love & joy &_

_Peace to one of His]_

_Father let us not forget_

_The children who are all alone this Christmas_

_[You ain't livin; till you choose to give, you ain't livin' till_

_You choose to give]_

Once we were all relatively awake, the presents started to come out from underneath the tree. Johnny had been bouncing with anticipation all morning; apparently he had snuck a look underneath the tree the day before, and had found a few presents with his name on them. I was handed a small one, which was obviously a CD of some sort. I waited to open it. Johnny pulled out a huge one, one that he had clearly set his sights on to be the first he would open. Taking absolutely no care with it, he ripped the shiny paper off. I heard the squeals of delight as he pulled out a large yellow truck. Immediately, it had to come out of the box, of course. Carefully and slowly, much to the boy's dismay, my Mom took it out.

In the end, the room was covered in boxes and paper, and filled with smiles.

Maybe giving _is _better than receiving.

_[James 1:27]_

_Religion that God our Father_

_Accepts as pure and faultless is this_

_To look after orphans and widows in their distress_

_Merry Christmas everyone_

That day was filled with lots of things; toys, food, and smiles. I think Christmas is one of the only times of the year when everyone can come together and finally be happy, even if it's just for a little while. Being able to share that with someone who is less fortunate did something to me that I had never expected. Looking back, I know that I would not have done it differently. I wish that I could have been a bigger part in Johnny's life, but knowing what I know now I can be satisfied with how things turned out. We gave the boy hope, which was something he had been lacking. And that, perhaps, is the best thing a person can give on Christmas.

_Joy to the world_

_The lord is come_

_Let heaven and nature sing_

_Let heaven and nature sing_

_Let heaven and nature sing_

_Let heaven and nature sing_

~*~

It was the day after Christmas, and though the season had yet to wind down, it was a sad day for us. It was the day that Johnny had to go back to the orphanage. We were just to keep him for Christmas…to give the kids a chance to get out. It wasn't supposed to be anything more than that. However, I knew that I would not now be able to just leave Johnny there alone. I'd have to come visit him, at least. The car ride back was very silent, and the atmosphere was very dreary and foreboding. It was a real damper on the whole thing. I guess I should have prepared myself for this better, as I really began to think, not intentionally, that Johnny was going to be with us forever. This just brought the cold, hard reality upon me that he wouldn't.

When we reached the orphanage, I noticed that there were others there, too. Some of them were smiling, as I'm sure they really had found a home. We gathered Johnny's things, and brought them to the front desk. A woman came to take him back to his old room.

I looked down at him, and saw that there were tears in his eyes. This broke my heart, and I couldn't hold the tears back either. I got down on my knees, and gave Johnny the biggest hug ever. I was reluctant to let him go, and when I did I really wish it hadn't. I think the woman was getting impatient, as I saw the annoyed look on her face as I stood up. But I paid her no mind; she didn't matter to me. Not right now.

"Johnny, I promise to visit you, and write to you too." I told him. He only responded by nodding. I didn't even try to hide the fact that my voice had cracked slightly, as I really was on the verge of tears.

The woman took his hand and led him down the hall. I could tell that he wasn't overly thrilled to be back, but this was his temporary home. As much fun as he had had at my place, it wasn't his home. Just as they were about to disappear around the corner, Johnny turned and gave me the biggest smile ever. He waved furiously to me and my Mom, so we waved back. This immediately lifted my spirits; the kid was strong. He would be okay.

"Merry Christmas, TK!" he shouted as they rounded the corner.

I smiled.

_Believe in angels Johnny asked me starin' at the sky_

_I said I do and saw a sparkle in his eye_

_9 years old, but Johnny was an old soul_

_Gonna spend his next Christmas in a real home_

It was around New Year's, and a certain little boy was playing in his room with his yellow truck. The woman, whom he'd grown to rather dislike, entered his room. He looked up, and stopped playing. His little mind wondered what he was getting in trouble this time for.

"Johnny, come with me. There is someone here to see you." she said, then left.

Obediently, Johnny complied. He wondered if it was TK or Kari, whom he had really grown to like over Christmas. TK had promised to visit…maybe he was doing just that. After all, no one else would come here to see him. He trailed behind her as she led him down the twisting corridors of the orphanage.

They entered a large room, where two people were sitting. There was a man and a woman, and the smiles they had on their faces caused the boy to wonder what was going on. He had never seen these people before…and they were definitely not who he had been expecting. The woman who had brought him in was also smiling; it was the kindest look he had ever seen on her face. The boy wondered if he would ever see it again, because he knew that he would be shipped back to his room once this was over. But why were they all smiling? It just didn't make sense. The confusion was evident in his bright, green eyes as he stood in the doorway of the room, still wary and unable to enter.

"Johnny, I'd like you to meet your new parents."

~*~

A little over a week after Christmas, we were getting ready to go back to school. I really did _not _want to go back…I liked my time off. I guess I know how Johnny must have felt when we brought him back to the orphanage. Of course, my feelings would not compare, but I guess I felt that now I had at least a comparison. Though my parents had split, I'd not had to go to a place like that. I was glad that I wouldn't have to. I had gone back to visit him, on New Year's Eve. He looked really happy to see me, which made me feel better. He didn't look as scared as he had when he had first come to us, so maybe it was a good thing. Maybe we had done something to change his young life. Kari and some of the others had come with me, and that little boy managed to get _another_ kiss from Kari. I'd like to say that I didn't get a little jealous, but that would be lying.

I was getting ready one day after school to go out and meet with the guys, when a letter on the table caught my attention. Kari had dance class or something…so I'd been forced to make plans without her. The letter had my name on it, but there was no return address. Curious, I picked it up. I carefully opened it and pulled out the single piece of paper that was inside.

My curiosity had come to a peak as I unfolded the paper. There were no words at all on the letter, it was simply a picture. I immediately recognized it, too. It was the same picture that Johnny had shown me when he first came, except there was a slight alteration to it. The man was still standing outside the door, but this time, there was a little boy holding onto his hand.

I smiled.

Merry Christmas!


End file.
